Suvi Sides
by Sardixiis
Summary: A collection of unconnected short stories featuring Olivia, Suvi, and Ben. Set at various points in time after Because of Vesuvius. Part of the Vesuvius Series.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: Suvi Sides will be a collection of short stories taking place at some point after Because of Vesuvius. They won't necessarily be in chronological order, and I will be continuously leaving the collection as "in progress" so I can add some more short stories whenever I come up with an idea. Some will be a few parts and others might be little more than snippets. They likely aren't going to come at any regularity however. Another series has dragged me in deep, and honestly I've lost a bit of my motivation with SVU. I am trying for all of you readers though. I promise. This is a good place for any ideas you might really want to see with Ben, Suvi, or Olivia though._

* * *

 **Suvi Sides**

Story One

Engagement rings burned holes in pockets far more than money did. Olivia had had the ring for less than a week and it already felt wrong not to have it on her finger. Putting it on would totally ruin the surprise though, and Olivia didn't want that. Thankfully she wouldn't have to last much longer. Amanda should be arriving any minute. The day after Ben had proposed she'd told Amanda she wanted to meet for lunch some day when it was slow at the office and she could get away. That chance had finally come today. So far Olivia hadn't shared the news with anyone so she was rather looking forward to her former co-worker's response. She sipped at her water, trying to distract herself from the endless waiting which actually hadn't spanned much time at all. The news she had to share simply made it feel that way.

When she spotted Amanda at the door Olivia waved her over.

"Hey, Liv," Amanda said as she reached out and gave Olivia a quick hug. "Hi, Suvi."

Suvi lifted his head up and thumped his tail twice on the floor before dropping his head back down. Amanda grinned. Suvi was always so good about saying hello but still remaining on duty.

"I'm glad you finally have a lighter day," Olivia said as Amanda sat down across from her.

"You and me both." Amanda grinned and then couldn't help pressing Olivia about what was going on. There had to be something or Olivia wouldn't have asked her here. Plus, something about Olivia's face told Amanda that there was definitely a big reason for this meeting. "So what's going on, Olivia?"

"Do you remember when you first came to SVU and asked me if there were any good guys left?"

"Sure. You said you hadn't given up hope."

Amanda didn't really understand what that had to do with why they were having lunch. She was probably going to find out really soon though. Olivia looked like she was nearly bursting at the seams.

"Believe in that, Amanda. I wasn't so sure I was right then, but I am now."

At first Amanda didn't know what to make of that, and then it clicked. Her eyes lit up and a grin flashed across her face. There was a good story here.

"What did Ben do?"

"He brought me to see a new apartment," Olivia replied.

She had to really restrain herself from saying anything more before she gave away the true story by accident. Thankfully Amanda seemed to think an apartment was a big enough deal on its own. She jumped on the topic without a second thought.

"To move in together?"

"Yeah."

"That's great, Liv! It's a big step for both for both of you."

Amanda had no idea. Olivia couldn't hold back any longer. She slipped her hand into her pocket and slid the ring out, though she didn't reveal it yet.

"It might be a bigger step than you think."

That said, she rested her hand on the table and set the ring down. For a moment she left her hand in place, making sure she had Amanda's complete attention, and then lifted her hand away. Immediately Amanda's eyes went wide. She fingered the ring briefly and then lifted it to inspect it.

"Oh my God. Ben proposed? You're engaged?!"

Olivia's grin widened and she nodded excitedly. It was all the permission Amanda needed to let her own enthusiasm escape. Olivia deserved this, and Ben was absolutely fantastic. Amanda was nothing but happy for her friend. She glanced back down at the ring and then held it out once she was done examining it.

"Liv, this is beautiful. It's perfect for you too."

Ben had done a fantastic job picking the ring. It really represented their relationship. Of course the ring was absolutely gorgeous too.

Olivia slid the ring back onto her finger and couldn't help looking at it once it was there. Amanda was right. The ring really was beautiful, and sometimes she still couldn't believe it was hers. It was though, and she felt so much better with the ring back on her hand where it belonged. She smiled down at it before looking up at Amanda.

"It is. I don't think Ben could have done better."

"So have you guys thought about anything yet?" Amanda asked as she scooted a little bit closer and nearly leaned across the table.

Olivia laughed. Right, because she and Ben had had so much time to consider wedding plans. About all they'd talked about was potential songs to play. Given she was engaged to Ben the obsessive music guy that topic made sense.

" _No_. Definitely not."

"Well, you have to have a few ideas of what you want at least."

Olivia nearly rolled her eyes. It had been a very, very long time since she'd even considered the _possibility_ of getting married. Her engagement had come as a complete surprise.

"Amanda, the last time I thought about what my wedding would be like, besides running into a court room for it, I was a really little girl."

"You better not be planning on running into a court room with Ben," Amanda warned.

"No. That's about the only thing I have thought about. We're definitely having a real wedding, and I'm sure Ben's family will have a ton of opinions on it too."

Not that she would entirely mind that. It would be nice to have some help, especially from people who actually knew how to plan a wedding. She really had no idea how to even start. The whole thing was rather overwhelming.

Amanda must have seen the uncertainty flicker over Olivia's face because she quickly continued the conversation, though in a slightly different direction in hopes of distracting her friend.

"So are you going to tell the guys?"

"I was actually thinking of going back with you today and seeing how long it takes for one of them to notice," Olivia replied, her eyes sparkling in amusement.

"Now this I've got to see."

O . o . O . o . O

Olivia had figured her engagement ring would be incredibly obvious. That's why she'd taken it off when she'd met Amanda. It was turning out not to be the case. She'd been in the squad room for fifteen minutes, chatting and helping out where she could. Even when she'd walked in she hadn't done anything to hide her ring, but after ten minutes with no recognition from anyone she'd started being a little more overt. So far it didn't appear like that was having much of an affect either. Every time she passed Amanda she rolled he eyes, and Amanda had to try and restrain her laughter. Their coworkers were apparently rather dense.

"Paperwork for you," Olivia told Nick as she handed him the stack of files he'd asked her to grab.

She'd purposefully held the files with her left hand, clearly displaying her ring. At least she'd thought she'd showed it clearly. It wasn't good enough to draw Nick's attention though. Apparently her old partner was a lost cause. Fine then. She would focus on somebody else. Olivia settled onto the chair beside Fin's desk and rested her elbow on the desk top.

"You need anything, Fin?"

As he looked her way she rested her chin in the palm of her hand. It put her ring closer to eye level. That should do the trick, right?

"Nah, I'm good."

No, apparently not. Olivia nearly threw her hands up in exasperation. Instead she got up, figuring she'd try Cragen. She never got that far though.

"Hey, wait a minute. Come back here," Fin said and reached out to grab her hand.

Olivia tried to play it cool and not let her smile get too big. Holding her fingers firmly, Fin flipped her hand palm-side down. His eyes lingered there for a moment before lifting to meet Olivia's eyes. When he did, his eyes were gleaming.

"What's this, Liv?"

Olivia beamed. Well it was about time.

"Nothing much."

"Nothin' much? This ain't nothin' much!" Fin exclaimed. "This is an engagement ring!"

That drew everyone's attention. It even pulled Cragen out of his office.

"You're engaged?!" Nick demanded.

"I am," Olivia confirmed. "And you all make lousy detectives. I've been flaunting my ring since I walked in here and none of you even noticed."

She'd almost literally had to hold it right up in someone's face.

"Well we noticed now," Fin told her. "Congratulations, Liv."

Fin gave her a quick hug which Olivia happily returned. She followed that hug up with one from all of the other guys too.

"Let's see how good of a job Ben did," Cragen said once he'd released her from the last hug.

Olivia grinned and held her hand out. Ben had done a great job.


	2. Chapter 2

Story Two

"That's totally awesome, Olivia!" Lindsay exclaimed as she released Olivia's left hand.

"Thank you," Olivia returned. "I'm rather excited about it too."

Lindsay beamed at her. Olivia had been visiting with the fifteen year old pretty regularly for the last few months. Lindsay was one of the long term residents at the hospital, and she would remain that way until she had her transplant. It could still be a while, so Olivia and Suvi stopped in as often as possible to keep her spirits up. Lindsay did a pretty good job of that on her own though. Her constant happiness despite everything she was going through was one of the reasons Olivia enjoyed visiting her so much. Lindsay was simply fun to be around.

During their time together Lindsay had learned quite a bit about Ben. She enjoyed their discussions about Ben's ridiculousness nearly as much as hearing about Suvi's recent stunts. Because of that she knew full well that Olivia's boyfriend was a music buff.

"So did he propose to you with a song?"

Lindsay was acting almost as excited by the proposal as Olivia felt. It brought some of Olivia's own excitement out, and she grinned.

"Of course. That's the way Ben works. He can always find something perfect."

Lindsay considered that as she scratched Suvi's head.

"You know," she began, "We could probably find something just as perfect. If you wanted to that is."

"You really think we could do that?"

"Sure! With a lot of time and a little bit of help from Google."

Lindsay looked so sure of herself, so confident they could pull this plan off. It would be amazing if they could. Ben had loved all of the songs Olivia had found for him, and none of them had been for an occasion nearly as big as their engagement. Olivia would love to give something back to him after everything he'd offered her.

"If you think we can find something good…" Olivia told Lindsay.

"Have a little faith, Olivia."

Lindsay was not perturbed at all by Olivia's slight reluctance and reached across the bed toward the side table. Suvi lifted his head off her lap in confusion, but she scratched his ears in reassurance as she grabbed her lap top. She had to shift Suvi's head a little bit so she could settle her computer on her lap, but he quickly made himself comfortable again as she booted the laptop up.

"Let's see what we can find," Lindsay said with a grin.

She had such a bright gleam in her eyes that Olivia couldn't help laughing. Lindsay was going to go full tilt on this plan until they found something perfect. Olivia was sure of it. She wouldn't really mind that though. They would have a good time looking, and if they found something perfect for Ben all the better.

O . o . O . o . O

If this was how Ben had been feeling when he'd been getting ready to propose to her Olivia had no idea how he'd been able to show her an entire apartment so calmly. She simply couldn't sit still and wait. Every time she heard anything that even remotely sounded like a key in their lock she was instantly on her feet to investigate. Lindsay had done an amazing job with the music, and Olivia couldn't wait for Ben to come home. She was so excited that Suvi was actually worried about her. He kept nudging her legs and poking his nose at her hand to try and get her to calm down. Olivia tried to use him as a distraction, but it wasn't good enough. Her mind was too locked on Ben and her proposal response song.

The scraping sound of the lock turning reached Olivia, and she was already on her way to the door before she heard it click open. Suvi was hot on her heels. Ben barely got through the door before Olivia threw her arms around him and pressed her lips to his. As surprised as he was, it didn't take long for Ben to respond to the kiss. When he pulled away he was grinning nearly ear to ear.

"Well, if that's what I'm going to come home to everyday…" he trailed off and kissed her again, much less deeply that time.

"Special occasion," Olivia told him with a teasing smile. "I'm really glad to have you home."

"Yeah. I can see that. So, what's really going on?"

Ben lifted an eyebrow at her. He could tell there was something else going on besides Olivia simply being happy he was home. Happy Olivia didn't ever get quite this excited. She was far too easy to read.

Olivia couldn't deny his belief. She was excited for a bigger reason, and now that Ben was home she could share that reason. There was no point in containing her eagerness anymore.

"I have something for you."

She grabbed his hand and started leading him toward the couch.

"Something for me?" Ben asked as he played along and followed her.

"Consider it my response to your proposal."

"Really?" he questioned as he went to sit down.

Ben never got the chance though. Suvi seemed to think this was all some sort of fun game and nearly shoved Ben aside to bound up on the couch. He stood right in the middle, tail wagging furiously and looking far too pleased with himself. The couch was his, and they weren't going to be taking it back. Olivia rolled her eyes and started tickling Suvi's back and stomach. It worked like a charm. He quickly squirmed away and curled up on the edge of the couch, eyeing her warily lest she decide to try that again. Ben immediately sat down in the vacated spot before Suvi could reclaim it.

"Nice work," Ben teased.

"Thank you," Olivia replied and settled onto his lap.

Ben wound his arms around her waist and pressed a kiss to her head. Olivia was more than happy to snuggle up against him. Unlike Ben and Olivia, Suvi was not quite as happy with the situation. He huffed in annoyance that they were both thoroughly ignoring him = and had stolen his couch. Obviously that was not going to change anytime soon, so he sprawled out as far as he could, purposefully stretching his legs over Ben and Olivia. Ben rubbed Suvi's butt in amusement before turning his attention back to Olivia.

"So what's this proposal response you have for me?"

Olivia grinned at him and twisted around to grab the small remote sitting on the near table.

"This," she told him and dropped the remote into his hand. "I didn't want you to be the only one finding songs for us."

Everything was set up. All Ben had to do was hit play. As excited as Olivia was to see Ben's response, she was also a little bit nervous. Hopefully the song was as perfect as she and Lindsay had thought.

For Ben the song being perfect would only be an added bonus. He loved it when Olivia took the time to find him music. She only did that on rare occasions, and many times the songs she chose gave him a bigger insight into what she was thinking and feeling. Olivia was so good at locking down her emotions that sometimes he had no idea how deeply she was feeling something. He loved the windows into her heart that the songs provided. Ben hit play and sat back to listen.

 _Is this a dream?_

 _If it is_

 _Please don't wake me from this high_

 _I'd become comfortably numb_

 _Until you opened up my eyes_

 _To what it's like_

 _When everything's right_

 _I can't believe_

 _You found me_

 _When no one else was lookin'_

 _How did you know just where I would be?_

 _Yeah, you broke through_

 _All of my confusion_

 _The ups and the downs_

 _And you still didn't leave_

 _I guess that you saw what nobody could see_

 _You found me_

 _You found me_

 _So, here we are_

 _That's pretty far_

 _When you think of where we've been_

 _No going back_

 _I'm fading out_

 _All that has faded me within_

 _You're by my side_

 _Now everything's fine_

 _I can't believe_

Ben tightened his arms around Olivia and felt her snuggle down against his shoulder. He tried to meet her eyes, but she kept her gaze down. The lyrics were clearly touching her deeply even though she'd been the one to choose the song. For Ben the words meant even more, and the longer he listened to them the closer he pulled Olivia to him. She'd done amazingly well on this one.

When the song ended Ben was struggling. That she felt that way about him, that he was someone who had walked in and saved her, squeezed his heart. He had no idea how everyone could miss how amazing she was, but he was glad everybody had since it meant that she was his now. There was no going back. They were both going to stay living in the light. Ben turned toward Olivia and was pretty sure he saw tears glittering on her cheeks. The music had already pulled on his heartstrings, and the tears on Olivia's cheeks were almost too much for Ben. Tears glistened in his eyes. He tipped her chin up and kissed her deeply. When he pulled away he stroked his thumb down her cheek.

"I'm glad I found you, Olivia Benson. I love you."

"I love you too, and I'm glad you're by my side."

"Forever," Ben confirmed. "And it'll be better than just fine."

Olivia grinned and kissed his cheek. They were definitely going to be much better than simply fine. Much, much better.

* * *

 _Author's Note: Song lyrics belong to Kelly Clarkson (You Found Me)._


End file.
